A blog can be a very effective marketing tool for your business. A successful blog can increase the traffic to your website, boost your search engine optimization, attract new customers, and connect with your current customer base. It’s an extremely inexpensive marketing tactic that is incredibly beneficial when done correctly. Use the following tips to make your blog as successful as possible.
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Make a Plan
You should be posting new blogs on a consistent and regular schedule.There’s no specific rule on how often you should post, but putting together an easily-maintained schedule will keep you on track. A good goal is to post once a week or every other week. Gather your marketing team for a brainstorming session every month to discuss the topics you’ll write about. Be sure to always be mindful of your customers. Think about what they might be most interested in, and consider industry trends and any seasonal issues within your business. Something you might not realize is that search engines like new content, so the more consistently you blog, the higher your rankings will be.
The Right Keywords Matter
During your brainstorming session, you should also be doing some keyword research. This is actually a fairly straightforward process. You might be tempted to write a blog about a very generic topic, like “plumbing,” for example. However, this is not the best strategy, as your blog will be lost among the hundreds of thousands of other websites that rank using that keyword. It’s better to pick a specific and targeted keyword with a lower search volume instead. A free keyword tool can give you insight into which keywords to use for better rankings. A keyword with a lower search volume gives your blog a better shot of being found by your potential customers. Be sure to use your keyword naturally in the title of your post, and multiple times within your content. Aim to write at least 500 to 1,000 words in each post.
Keep Content Engaging
When you’re writing your blog, always keep your customers in mind. Ask yourself: what do you my customers what to know more about? What information will they find the most valuable? What are the topics that will hold their interest and keep them reading the entire post? Each blog your write needs to be educational and interesting. It should answer a question or solve a problem. Mix up your posts with different styles, like:
- Listicles (“5 Plumbing Upgrades To Make This Year”)
- News (“The Latest Energy Efficient Water Heater Is Here”)
- How-To (“How to Repair Common Sink Issues”)
- FAQs (“What Should I do If My Toilet Is Overflowing?”)
- Promotional (“Take Advantage Of Our Special Savings This Month!”)
Every post should also include a call to action and a link to your contact page.
Focus on Formatting
No one likes clicking on a blog only to be faced with a giant block of text. Not using any kind of formatting will cause your potential customers to stop reading and move on. To make your blog posts more visually appealing, insert high quality images and use multiple headings to break up the text and make your post easier to read.
Promote Your Blog
Every time you write a blog post, you should be promoting it as much as possible. Let your current and potential customers know about it by sharing it on all your social media platforms. Encourage your customers to like and share your post as well. If your business has an email marketing campaign, be sure to include a link to your latest blog there, as well. The more you can promote your blog, the better your results will be.
Analyze Results
Analyzing the data of each post is just as important as having a consistent blogging schedule. Tools like Google Analytics, or one built into your blogging CMS, allow you to see how your posts are performing. You can view the amount of visitors, how they got to your blog page, and how long they spent there. This information will help you measure the success of your blogging efforts and give you insight into whether you need to try a new approach.
Your business can reap the benefits of blogging, but only if you are intentional and strategic about this strategy. Keep these tips in mind to increase your sales, attract new customers, and grow your business.
